FITCHBURG — A father who crashed his car into the Nashua River early Thursday morning was allegedly drinking for over eight hours and didn't recognize his own son, who was a passenger in the front seat of the vehicle.

Eugenio A. Garcia, 30, of 216 Kimball St. was released on personal recognizance after his arraignment Monday. Mr. Garcia allegedly endangered the life of his 8-year-old son when he drove drunk and crashed his car through a guardrail on Oak Hill Road about 3 a.m.

He is due back in court Aug. 20 on charges of endangerment of a child under 14 while drunk, drunken driving, negligent driving while drunk in a way that could have caused serious injury, driving to endanger, negligent driving, speeding, failing to wear a seat belt and a marked lanes violation.

Mr. Garcia was ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, submit to random drug screens and report for probation when requested.

According to court documents, the family was in the middle of moving from a Columbus Street housing project. Mr. Garcia left that apartment and was driving to Kimball Street when his 2012 Honda Civic missed a slight curve in the road just before the Oak Hill Road Bridge, court documents said.

His car went onto the concrete sidewalk in front of 1 Oak Hill Road, across the driveway, struck a 12-inch barrier and crashed through the guardrail at the edge of the river, court documents said.

His car then went into the air and fell, front-first, into the Nashua River, where it rolled over onto its roof, court documents said.

The car was 59 feet from the point of the "initial vault," court documents said, and 30 feet below the road and the bridge.

After the crash, Mr. Garcia's son unbuckled himself and lifted his unconscious father's head, which was lying against the windshield and covered in blood, court documents said.

The boy was able to escape the vehicle, swim to the north side of the river, climb over the embankment and fence and run barefoot about a mile to his home to alert his mother and grandparents, court documents said.

The boy told his mother that his father was dead in the car in the river, according to court documents. In fact, Mr. Garcia was later rescued and taken to the hospital.

During an interview with the Department of Child and Family Services, the boy said his father had been drinking from 7 p.m. Wednesday until the crash. He said his father was "dizzy and tired" and didn't recognize him before getting into the car because he had drunk so much, according to court documents.

The boy said it was the "most intoxicated he had ever seen his father," court documents said.

The state agency took custody of the boy, and police requested preservation of all blood, urine and medical records from Health Alliance Hospital — Leominster Campus, where Mr. Garcia and his son were treated and released.

The boy received only minor injuries to his neck, chest and hip from his seat belt, court documents said.

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG